I found out my neighbours built their extension on my land, they now want to do a land swap to pay me back
YOUR neighbours can be your besties, or your enemies.
So when it comes to building, you probably want to stay on their best side, just in case they fancy bricking up your windows.
This neighbour cheekily built an ENTIRE extension on his neighbours land without even asking.
The angry neighbour was shocked so asked the Irish Times what to do.
The neighbour explained that he found out about the unexpected invasion by his tenant who saw an industrial unit had removed some of their hedge to build their own extension.
He is renting out an old house he inherited with a large garden which has massively overgrown boundary hedges.
The neighbours invasion was around 22sq m, or about two parking spaces if a typical car parking space is 12 square meters.
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To please his angry neighbour they offered to add to his garden by clearing away the overgrown hedge and building a brand new boundary wall between them.
The noisy neighbour said they’re in a rush and even claimed his extension had ‘gone through the planning process,’ despite his neighbour not once being told about his work.
Luckily, Patrick Shine, a chartered geomatics surveyor, civil engineer and a member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland offered his advice.
Agree to what suits you
You should only agree to the adjustment if your neighbour agrees to formalise it.
They should also agree to accept all the legal and extra costs incurred.
Check your title
Your solicitor should examine the title to check you are getting the freehold title without any extras.
You need to engage a chartered geomatics surveyor to come and survey the site and make a detailed map for a deed of exchange and maps.
This will need to be suitable for registration purposes.
Check on your interests
Make the exchange of interests formalised or it may cause annoying difficulties in the future if you ever want to sell your house.
As the exchange involves a commercial interest, it will probably have complex title arrangements.
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Discuss boundaries
Before drawing up maps with your surveyor, you will need to discuss boundaries with your neighbour.
Not emotional boundaries, wall and land boundaries.
This will include determining the style, design, choice of material, nature of the new wall.
Have the wall built on your side
You must also decide who will own the boundary wall.
If you want to own the new wall and want to make sure it is not used by your neighbour, you need to have it built on your side of the new boundary line.
This will prevent future proposals and security fences being built on it too.
Check nothing will overlook your property
It’s a good idea to get reassurance that no part of your neighbour’s extension, project on to your property
Check that no windows, which may overlook a future development on your property, are installed.
The new boundary wall across the entire length of the new boundary may hide some sneaky projections so check it does not eat in to your land.
See if any windows are proposed
If a window is proposed, you need to immediately tell your solicitor.
It may already be too late for you to lodge an objection.
However, the planning application requires your consent as the landowner.
Something your neighbour obviously did not get before they began building their extension.
For more neighbour stories, check out I’m doing up my disabled neighbour’s pad for free – her sofa was £50 from Facebook & her son, 15, has first bed in years
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Could you be a bad neighbour? From closing the curtains to watering plants – if you aren’t doing these 10 things are a officially bad neighbour